Cleveland Co. Expected To Release Additional Opioid Ruling

Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman is clarifying his decision in this summer's historic opioid trial between Johnson and Johnson and the State of Oklahoma.

Both Johnson and Johnson and the State argued last month in open court on the meaning of the 42-page order Balkman issued at the end of the trial.

The State is arguing that the order makes it so they can come back in the future for the award of additional damages. 

Johnson and Johnson argues the opposite, they believe the dollar amounts awarded in previous settlements between Teva and Purdue and the State should be subtracted from Balkman's judgment this summer as a set off or as credit. 

There was already confusion on the decision after Balkman mistakenly ordered Johnson and Johnson to pay the state $107 million instead of $107 thousand for education services, a mistake he attributed as a math error in the ruling.

At the moment, there isn't an exact time on when Judge Balkman will make his ruling Friday.